Brazil
takes home the World Championship title
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 13, 2002 – The
2002 Men’s Volleyball World Championship came to
a colorful close on Sunday night here in the
Argentine capital when Brazil stole the trophy
from Russia in a thrilling five set match that
was a worthy conclusion to the tournament.
The final, a repeat of the same event here 20
years ago when Argentina was host and Russia was
the Soviet Union and won the title, ended in a
Brazilian celebration after the 72nd
match ended in a blaze of green and gold and
Brazil took home the cup after winning the
tiebreaker.
Here in Argentina, where the country’s economic
crisis had raised doubts about staging the
Championship earlier in the year, spectators
took the event to heart and turned the stadiums
in the six host cities of Buenos Aires, Cordoba,
Santa Fe, Salta, Mar del Plata and San Juan of
into a fiesta of volleyball that drew more than
330,000 spectators.
Luna Park Stadium here in Buenos Aires was
always sold out when the host team was playing
and the crowd turned it into a sea of blue and
white flags while they sang and danced their way
through the championship. Indeed every player
from the 24 competing countries will go home
with the tune “Ole, ole, ola, Argentina!”
ringing in their ears.
“It is a fantastic moment to play under these
conditions, even if you are the opponent of
Argentina,” the French head coach Philippe Blain
said during the tournament. “This is something
the players will always remember.”
The event was also broadcast worldwide to around
200 countries by host broadcaster ESPN,
expanding to millions the numbers of volleyball
fans who enjoyed this quality tournament.
The 2002 Men’s World Championship also launched
a new era in volleyball with the emergence of
European teams into the spotlight. France, with
their creative play and talented individual
players thrilled the crowds and finished with
the bronze medal – their first ever at a world
championship. Greece and Portugal also delivered
great results and finished in the top eight of
the tournament. Both teams, and especially
Portugal, who have a great selection of very
young players, will definitely be a team to
watch closely in the coming years.
For Italy, the event was a disappointment. They
came here to defend the title they won three
times in a row and went away with fifth place
after beating Argentina on Sunday. Cuba, bronze
medalist in 1998, didn’t survive the first round
and Netherlands, a team that was always in the
Top Eight since 1988, didn’t make it to the
quarterfinal.
The next World Championship, in four years time,
will be in Japan.

Brazil
defeats Russia 3-2 in title match

Buenos Aires, Argentina, October
13 – Twenty years down the road, same teams,
same stadium, different winner. On Sunday Brazil
triumphed over Russia to reverse the result of
1982, when the Soviet Union team won their last
major title.
Victory for Brazil in five hard sets was also
sweet revenge for the defeat at the hands of
Russia in August in the final of the World
League.
In an all or nothing opening set, Brazil
scrambled to an early two-point set that the
Russians finally narrowed to one at 19-18 for
Brazil.
The big Russian block held tight and they
leveled at 20-20. Gilberto Godoy Fihlo, the much
adored “Giba” spiked for Brazil. The shot went
over the line and Russia edged ahead one point,
enough to infuriate the eternally nervous
Bernardo Rezende.
Andrei Egortchev served for set point for
Russia. Brazil survived the first but not the
second set point and Russia was ahead.
Russia, with the help of big hitting Pavel
Abramov steamed to a four point advantage to
send Rezende’s blood pressure up a notch, but at
18-all Brazil seemed to have settled.
Brazil’s Nalbert Bitencourt then leveled the
match with a huge spike that fell just inside
the line and gave them the second set at 27-25
and sent the fans into a frenzy.
Anderson Rodrigues put Brazil’s first point on
the board in the third set, which they quickly
converted to a 4-1 lead. Russia fired several
shots long and Brazil was suddenly three points
ahead at 12-9.
Nalbert, who went on to be top scorer in the
final, closed out two critical points the
closing stage of the third set, then a three-man
Brazilian block took them to 23-19. Brazil
spiked deep into the Russian court for set point
and the charismatic Giba hammered home the
closing point to put Brazil 2-1 in front.
Russia, deploying heavy artillery in the hands
of Sergei Tetioukhine and Egortchev took a
two-point lead in the fourth set, and well
supported by Pavel Abramov, ran it up to 14-11.
Then, after Giba closed out two valuable points
to take Brazil 21-22, they had the trophy in
their line of vision. Abramov skidded a shot
over the net, and then Tetioukhine gave Russia
the set point before Alexei Koulechev powered
home the winning spike and Russia was back in
the match.
Russia leveled the tiebreaker at 8-all with a
massive block by Tetioukhine and Egortchev but
two quick responses by Brazil put them in front
again. Russia closed, but Giba’s aim was perfect
and Brazil was again within three points of the
title. Tetioukhine added a point to draw 12-all
and the match was again open.
But it was Brazil’s night and when the decision
fell, the Green and Golds dissolved into wild
scenes of celebration. Nalbert was the final’s
top scorer with 23 points while Tetioukhine
added 22 for Russia.
Earlier, Argentina’s lineup played with what was
left of their strength and all of they heart to
try to pull off one last victory for the host
country in the match against Italy for fifth
place on Sunday. In the end, Italy squeezed out
a 3-2 victory to finish fifth at the 2002 Men’s
World Championship in a worthy battle for fifth
place.Results: Brazil 3, Russia 2 (23-25,
27-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13)Individual awards

Buenos Aires, Argentina, October
13, 2002 - The following awards were made for
the best individual players at the Men’s World
Volleyball Championship that concluded on Sunday
in the Argentine capital after Brazil won the
title, defeating Russia 3-2.Most Valuable Player:
Marcos Milinkovic (ARG)
Top Scorer:
Marcos Milinkovic (ARG)Top Spiker:
Andre Nascimento (BRA)
Top Blocker:
Jose Joao (POR)
Top Server:
Franz Granvorka (FRA)
Top Digger:
Hubert Henno (FRA)
Top Setter:
Maurico Lima (BRA)
Top Receiver:
Pablo Meana (ARG)

Super Seven Selection:Setter: Nikola Grbic (YUG),
Opposite: Marcos Milinkovic (ARG),
Wing Spikers: Serguei
Tetioukhine (RUS); Stephane Antiga (FRA),
Middle Blockers: Gustavo
Endres (BRA); Jose
Joao (POR), Libero:
Hubert Henno (FRA)
All anti-doping tests at championship negative
Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 13, 2002 -
Comprehensive anti-doping tests carried out
during all matches at the 2002 Men’s World
Championship, have all proved negative,
according to the FIVB Medical Delegate Prof. Dr.
Manfred Holzgraefe of Germany.
“I have received all results up to the last
four matches and all tests were negative,” Dr.
Holzgraefe said. “Co-operation between the FIVB
and Argentina’s CENARD laboratory was
excellent.”
During the semifinals and final, the numbers of
test were doubled, and more than 150 tests were
conducted during the 72 matched of the
tournament.
The CENARD laboratory was responsible for all
the tests from the six cities of this
tournament.
Italy beats Argentina to finish fifth

Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 13 –
Argentina’s lineup played with what was left of
their strength and all of they heart to try to
pull off one last victory for the host country
in the match against Italy for fifth place on
Sunday. In the end, Italy squeezed out a 3-2
victory to finish fifth at the 2002 Men’s World
Championship in a worthy last ditch battle.
Both sides traded sets in the early stages and
perhaps the turning point came when veteran Hugo
Conte came on for Argentina during the fourth
set. He put them in front 16-14 and brought the
capacity crowd to their feet. Italy’s coach
Andrea Anastasi responded quickly and brought on
missile hitting Hristo Zlatanov who put Italy
back in the match.
Carlos Getzelevich rested Marcos Milinkovic for
a handful of points, then slipped him back on to
seal the defense that gave them set point in the
fourth. Milinkovic, weary but heroic, found the
strength to hammer a shot across the net to
level at 2 sets-all
By now, the crowd was on their feet, cheering
and chanting while the stadium vibrated under
their stamping feet, a clear invitation to
Argentina to find a few grams more energy and
make it through the tiebreaker.
Jorge Elgueta was one who did, and together with
Conte ran up a handy 3-1 lead in the decider.
Gaston Giani also wove a little magic for
Argentina to extend the lead to 6-2 and again it
seemed as though the crowd would inspire the
home team to give everything in the final
stages.
Argentina hung onto the lead and a service error
by Italy extended it to 10-7, but Italy was not
through and drew back to 12-10.
Santiago Darraidou dived to rescue a shot for
the Blue and Whites that extended score to
13-11, but Italy drew back to 13-all. Argentina
took the first match point, but Italy leveled
again and the agile Italian Valerio Vermiglio
drifted a shot across the net to go 15-14.
The teams, now running on pure adrenalin, traded
points back and forth until Elgueta pounded home
a shot to level 17-all.
It was again Elgueta’s spike that put Argentina
in front 19-18 but his service went out and
Italy was back in the running with the score at
21-all.
Italy went on to settle the marathon tiebreaker
and the crowd gave both teams the ovation they
deserved. Andrea Giani was top score for italy
with 17 points and Elgueta added 16 for
Argentina.
Three times World Champion, this is Italy’s
poorest showing at this four-yearly event in 12
years, while twenty years ago, when Argentina
hosted the World Championship here at the Luna
Park Stadium, they won the bronze medal.
Brazil and Russia now contest the final.

Result:
Italy 3 Argentina 2 (27-29, 25-17, 25-22, 22-25,
24-22

France
defeats Yugoslavia for Bronze; Greece
finish 7th
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 12, 2002 – France
overwhelmed Olympic champions Yugoslavia in
straight sets on Saturday to claim the bronze
medal at the 2002 Men’s Volleyball World
Championship, often applying applied sly tactics
and delicate shots to neutralize the big hitters
like Ivan Miljkovic and staple talents of the
caliber of Nikola Grbic
It was their first ever medal at a World
Championship.
The first two sets were evenly contested but
France scored the breakthrough in the closing
stages of the third set when they came from
behind to take two solid block points with
Dominique Daquin and Frantz Granvorka impassable
on the net, to level at 20-all. An ace by
Laurent Capet then set the tone for the
remainder of the match. The quick change of
fortunes seemed to unsettle the Yugoslav side,
who from then on never really looked
comfortable. France then began to weave the
magic that has brought them so far in this
tournament.
Stephanie Antiga again proved invaluable, along
with Loic DeKergret, the player with the mane of
dreadlocks whose setting skills set up perfect
shots for Daquin, Granvorka and other big
hitters in the French lineup.
Miljkovic missed a few vital serves for
Yugoslavia, including one that gave the French
set point, then Antiga served out the match.
France took the bronze medal on a final set
score of 25-16 that left no doubt they were the
best team on the court.
When the final whistle blew, Daquin whooped,
threw his hands in the air and hugged teammates
with pure joy.
Capet was top scorer for the match with 23
points, and Miljkovic added 19 for Yugoslavia
Earlier Greece had triumphed over Portugal 3-2
victory to conclude their World Championship in
seventh place in just five minutes short of two
hours.
The match went to tiebreaker after each side
claimed alternate sets, and it was perhaps
superior height and experience that won the day
for the Greeks in their final appearance on the
court at the Luna Park Stadium.
Throughout the tournament the young an fresh
Portuguese side has indicated they are one of
the world’s emerging teams, but with some
players as young as 17, and only their bright
young star Hugo Gaspar topping 200cm, they did
not have the resources to finish higher in the
standings.
Greece was also a surprise in the tournament and
performed solidly, sending a strong signal about
the determination of their preparation for the
2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Helped by players
of the caliber of their key spiker Nikolaos
Roumeliotis Greece simply wore down the
opposition and held onto their concentration
when it counted most, in the deciding
tiebreaker.
Roumeliotis was the best scorer of the match
with 25 points, followed by Marios Gkiourdas who
made 18 points.France 3, Yugoslavia 0 (25-23,
25-23, 25-16)
Greece 3, Portugal 2 (21-25, 25-20, 23-25,
25-21, 15-12)

Greece wears down
Portugal to claim 7th placeBuenos Aires,
Argentina, Oct. 12, 2002 - Greece ran the
marathon on Saturday with Portugal, finally
taking a 3-2 victory to conclude their World
Championship in seventh place in just five
minutes short of two hours.
The match went to tiebreaker after each side
claimed alternate sets, and it was perhaps
superior height and experience that won the day
for the Greeks in their final appearance on the
court at the Luna Park Stadium.
Throughout the tournament the young an fresh
Portuguese side has indicated they are one of
the world's emerging teams, but with some
players as young as 17, and only their bright
young star Hugo Gaspar topping 200cm, they did
not have the resources to finish higher in the
standings.
Greece was also a surprise in the tournament and
performed solidly, sending a strong signal about
the determination of their preparation for the
2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Helped by players
of the caliber of their key spiker Nikolaos
Roumeliotis Greece simply wore down the
opposition and held onto their concentration
when it counted most, in the deciding
tiebreaker.
Roumeliotis was the best scorer of the match
with 25 points, followed by Marios Gkiourdas who
made 18 points.
Both European teams can be satisfied with their
elite eight finish at this prestigious
four-yearly event.
France and Italy play for the bronze medal later
in the evening.Russia defeats France to meet
Brazil in final,
Argentina
defeats Greece to play
Italy for fifth
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 11 – In a replay
of this year’s prestigious World League final
Russia will meet Brazil on Sunday for the Men’s
Volleyball World Championship title here in the
Argentine capital. Russia secured their place by
dismissing France in the second semifinal on
Friday night.
France now plays Yugoslavia for the bronze
medal.
In the night’s second match, Argentinean fans
turned out in force to support the home team
when they met Greece in the semifinal for places
5-8 in a match that gave the local heroes,
especially “Prince” Marcos Milinkovic, a chance
once again to shine for their nation. Argentina
won the match 3-0 to earn the right to play
three-times World Champion Italy for fifth
place.Clearly nervous in the opening phase of
their semifinal, France allowed themselves to be
intimidated by the height and firepower of the
Russians who ran up a five-point lead at 13-8 in
the opening action. Pavel Abramov deployed
powerful spikes that often knocked the French
off their balance, while even France’s Frantz
Granvorka and captain Dominique Daquin were
unable to settle the team, allowing Russia to
wrap up the first set with a comfortable
six-point margin.
But France overcame their early nerves and took
a confidence-boosting 2-point lead to 10-8 in
the second to hit the front for the first time
in the match. French captain Daquin, Oliver
Kieffer and Stephanie Antiga combined well and
France leveled one-set all.
Russia went on the offensive in the third set
and had the advantage at 23-18, France fended
off one set point before the Russian block
kicked in to put them 2-1 in front.
The French refused to be intimidated, quickly
found their rhythm and forced the tiebreaker,
but ultimately the legendary Russian defense
foiled their bid for a shot at the title and
will have to settle for going for the bronze
medal.
Argentina in their match allowed themselves to
be elevated by the euphoric crowd who again
turned the Luna Park Stadium into a moving sea
of blue and white flags.
With more than 10,000 vocal fans on their feet
and waving, the Greek team had a seventh
powerful psychological “opponent” in addition to
the six inspired Argentina players on the court.
After tidying away two neat sets, Argentina rode
home on a wave of glory to finish 25-20 and
clinch the straight sets victory.
In return, they were feted by the capacity crowd
in scenes usually reserved for title winners and
now they play Italy on Sunday for fifth place.
Russia 3, France 2 (25-19, 16-26,
25-20, 21-25, 15-9)
Argentina 3, Greece 0, (25-21, 25-21, 25-20)

Russia beats France to
meet Brazil in final Buenos
Aires, Argentina, Oct. 11 - In a replay of this
year's prestigious World League final, Russia
will meet Brazil on Sunday for the Men's
Volleyball World Championship title here in the
Argentine capital. Russia secured their place by
dismissing France in the second semifinal on
Friday night in a five set thriller.
France now plays Yugoslavia for the bronze medal
after delivering a semifinal sprinkled with the
kind of aerial magic that brought them this far
in the tournament. In the end it was the Russian
block that won the day in a match that more than
paid tribute to the FIVB slogan "Keep the ball
flying!"
Clearly nervous in the opening phase, France
gave away several valuable points while they
struggled to find their serving rhythm, while
the Russians presented their classic wall of
defense, with giants like Andrei Egortchev
stretching high above his 205cm height. The
Russians looked comfortable with a five-point
lead at 13-8 in the opening action.
Pavel Abramov deployed powerful spikes that
often knocked the French off their feet, while
even France's Frantz Granvorka and captain
Dominique Daquin were unable to settle the team,
allowing Russia wrapped up the first set with a
comfortable six-point margin.
France presented a more consolidated front at
the beginning of the second set, although still
clearly intimidated by the superior height and
firepower of the Russian six. They took a
confidence-boosting 2-point lead to 10-8 to hit
the front for the first time in the match, then
when they extended it to four handy points, a
pocket of French fans in the stands were on
their feet and cheering wildly. French captain
Daquin began to find form and without showing
any signs of a nasty twisted knee he incurred in
their last match, tucked away several shots to
extend France's advantage to 17-12. Abramov
delivered an unusual loose serve that took the
French to 22-15 then Stephanie Antiga tucked
away to flick shot to give them set point.
Russia defended, but Oliver Keiffer drove home
the point that leveled the score one-set all.
Russia went on the offensive in the third set
and had the advantage at 23-18. France fended
off one set point before the Russian block
kicked in to put them 2-1 in front.
But France was not finished. Avoiding the rocket
serve and instead letting soft balls drift
across the net, they again had the Russians on
the back foot and trailing 12-9 in the fourth.
Granvorka teamed with Antiga to pile on the
points and a failed Russian serve let them back
into the match at 2-sets all.
Anxious to wrap up the action, the Russians
played no games in the final set and quickly
went ahead 5-3. Granvorka and Antiga tried hard
to narrow the gap, but they could not get past
the wall at the net and Russia prevailed 15-9 to
advance to the final.
Russia 3, France 2 (25-19, 16-26, 25-20, 21-25,
15-9)

Brazil first finalist
after defeating YugoslaviaBuenos Aires, Argentina -
Deploying rapid fire tactics, Brazil on Thursday
pulled off a stunning 3-1 victory over Olympic
champions Yugoslavia to launch their bid for the
2002 World title in the Argentina city of
Cordoba.
The Green and Golds glistened from the first
whistle, when they shocked the Yugoslav team
with a cleverly adjusted lineup and a rapid
style of play that frequently saw the ball
pierce through the opposition's defense lines
like a missile.
Brazil's charismatic Gilberto Godoy Fihlo, the
much adored Giba, was a shining light, electric
in his reflexes and smashing with deadly
accuracy.
Yugoslavia deployed all of their traditional
power but often in the opening phases, was
without their usually feared triple block.
Nevertheless, they fought the first set to the
bitter end, and then did their best to turn the
match around by claiming the second set.
By now Brazil's head coach Bernardo Rezende's
blood pressure was up a few notches as he paced
the sidelines like a caged tiger. In the final
analysis, he didn't have to worry and his team
delivered a display of brilliant shots capable
of beating the best in the business to take the
third set.
Yugoslavia's traditional fighting spirit allowed
them to power their way back into the fourth and
the set was drawn at 21-all before an ace by
Giba gave the Brazilians the edge. The rest was
volleyball magic and they broke into wild
celebration when the final shot fell their way.
The ever reliable Ivan Miljkovic for Yugoslavia
was the match's top scorer with 21 points, while
Anderson Rodrigues was top scorer for Brazil
with 19. Giba put away 14 spike points and two
serves for another major contribution to the
Brazilian scoreboard.
Brazil will now play the winner of the second
semifinal between Russia and France, to be
contested in Buenos Aires on Friday.
In the semifinal match for places 5-8 Italy
triumphed over the young Portuguese team 3-0,
who managed to keep up with the 3-times World
Champion in the first two sets, but who let the
match slip though their fingers. Portugal
however has been one of the delights of the
Championship and their young team will have a
brilliant future when matured with the necessary
big tournament experience.
Italy's Alessandro Fei was top scorer with 14
points and said after the match that his team
had played as well as it was possible after
being knocked out contention for defending their
title the previous day. Hugo Gaspar, Portugal's
bright young star, was top scorer for his team,
adding 10 points.
The championship concludes Sunday with the
final.
President Acosta honored by Argentina's
President
Buenos Aires, Argentina - FIVB President Dr.
Ruben Acosta on Thursday was honored by
Argentina's President Eduardo Duhalde at a
special reception held at the Presidential
Palace.
The two dignitaries exchanged gifts and the
President of the Republic thanked the FIVB for
giving Argentina a vote of confidence by staging
their 28th World Congress and the Men's World
Championship here in his country, currently
beset with economic problems.
Also present at the reception was Argentina's
Minister for Sport and Tourism, Mr. Daniel
Scioli, who has been a staunch supporter of the
FIVB events in Argentina, Mrs. Malu Acosta, FIVB
Vice Presidents and other dignitaries.
In response, Dr. Acosta paid tribute to the
Argentine authorities and offered his thanks for
the wealth of support that had come from all the
regions and cities involved in the World
Championship.
Matches have been played not only in the
capital, but also in the cities of Cordoba, Mar
del Plata, San Juan, Santa Fe and Salta, and in
each case, the events had been supported by the
tireless work of the local organizing committees
and a virtual army of more than 1,000 volunteers.
The public had also been marvelous in their
support for the matches, President Acosta said.
The Men's World Championship concludes on Sunday
with the final in Buenos Aires.
France defeats Argentina to take the final
semifinals berth
Buenos Aires, Argentina - France and Argentina
fought a battle of attrition for the final
semifinals berth at the Men's Volleyball World
Championship on Wednesday, where France turned
around a weak first set to triumph 3-1 against
the host team and join Russia, Brazil and
Yugoslavia in the semifinals of this four-yearly
tournament
Argentina opened strongly, playing like a team
inspired in front of a capacity stadium of
wildly cheering and stamping Argentina fans, but
after the shock of the opener, where Argentina
allowed the visitors a mere 14 points, France
literally took to the air and produced some of
the most spectacular play of the championship,
even if at the cost of losing their captain, the
elegant Dominique Daquin and middle blocker
extraordinaire. Daquin came down hard and heavy
on his knee in the closing stages of the last
set and was carried off by teammates.
"Even after losing the first set we stayed calm,
"said French coach Philippe Blain. "When our
reception became better and we brought a new
setter (Loic De Kergret) in, our game was more
stable."
Earlier, Russia and Brazil joined Yugoslavia to
fill the other semifinal places when they
defeated Greece and title defender Italy in
quarterfinal matches, while in the opening
match, Yugoslavia beat Portugal 3-0 in Cordoba.
France performed admirably under the pressure
applied by the very vocal crowd that has helped
Argentina advance this far into the championship
and indeed seemed inspired by the adversity. Luc
Marquet, Vincent Montmeat, and Oliver Kieffer
all excelled, ably supported by a compact French
side that turned the match around by their
integrated teamwork that labels them as medal
favorites.
In other action neither Russia nor Brazil had an
easy time of it. Russia came off with a 3-0 win
but Greece put up a spirited fight against the
team that won the 2002 World League in August.
Italy too met Brazilian creativity with
determination. They brought on the earlier
injured wing spiker Samuele Papi to help pull
the third set out of the fire, then held up well
in the fourth set, leveling at 24-all, before
going on to level 2-sets all at 28-26 and force
a nail-biter tiebreaker.
Brazil edged ahead, but three-times world
champion Italy hung on to level 9-all in the
final set, while Italy coach Andre Anastasi and
his Brazilian counterpart Bernardo Rezente both
made impassioned pleas from the sidelines.
Brazil had a two-point advantage at 13-11, but
Italy drew back one point before the
green-and-golds had match point and went on to
take the tiebreaker 15-13 and seal their place
in the semifinals.
Brazil must now face Yugoslavia in the
semifinals while Russia meets France.
Earlier the talented young Portuguese side held
up well under pressure from Olympic champions
Yugoslavia, especially in the first two sets,
but it was lack of accuracy in serving, probably
from nerves, that cost them valuable points.
Russia and Brazil join Yugoslavia as
semifinalists
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Russia and Brazil on
Wednesday joined Yugoslavia to fill three of the
four semifinal places at the Men's Volleyball
World Championship when they defeated Greece and
title defender Italy in quarterfinal matches.
Earlier Yugoslavia beat Portugal 3-0 in Cordoba
in the day's opening quarterfinal match.
But neither the Russia nor Brazil had an easy
time. Russia came off with a 3-0 win but Greece
put up a spirited fight against the team that
won the 2002 World League in August.
Italy too met Brazilian creativity with
determination. They brought on the earlier
injured wing spiker Samuele Papi to help pull
the third set out of the fire, then held up well
in the fourth set, leveling at 24-all, before
going on to level 2-sets all at 28-26 and force
a nail-biter tiebreaker.
Brazil edged ahead, but three-times world
champion Italy hung on to level 9-all in the
final set, while Italy coach Andre Anastasi and
his Brazilian counterpart Bernardo Rezente both
made impassioned pleas from the sidelines.
Brazil had a two-point advantage at 13-11, but
Italy drew back one point before the
green-and-golds had match point and went on to
take the tiebreaker 15-13 and seal their place
in the semifinals.
Brazil must now face Yugoslavia in the
semifinals while Russia meets either Argentina
or France, depending on the outcome of the last
quarterfinal match here in the Luna Park stadium
later Wednesday.
Earlier the talented young Portuguese side held
up well under pressure from Olympic champions
Yugoslavia, especially in the first two sets.
Since 18 months under the guidance of Cuban
coach Juan Diaz, the Portuguese attacked with
bravado and held up will in defense, but it was
accuracy in serving, probably from nerves, that
cost them the points that made the difference.
Yugoslavia were solid, wily when necessary and
almost impenetrable in their classic triple
block at the net, but their big scorer Ivan
Miljovic was only able to add 14 points for top
scorer, while young Jorge Alves was just one
point behind for Portugal with 13 points.
Yugoslavia beats Portugal to become first
semifinalist
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Yugoslavia on
Wednesday became the first team safely through
to the semifinals of the Men's World
Championship when they defeated Portugal in
Cordoba in the day's opening quarterfinal match.
The Olympic champions may have won in straight
sets 3-0 (25-20, 25-23 and 25-16) but the
talented young Portuguese side held up well
under pressure from a team that is a recognized
giant in the sport - especially in the first two
sets.
Since 18 months under the guidance of Cuban
coach Juan Diaz, the Portuguese attacked with
bravado and held up will in defense, but it was
accuracy in serving, probably from nerves, that
cost them the points that made the difference.
Yugoslavia, who were solid, wily when necessary
and almost impenetrable in their classic triple
block at the net, will now meet the winner of
the match between Italy and Brazil in the
semifinals. Either way, they still have plenty
of work ahead of them, if they are to take the
title.
Other quarterfinals matches to be played here in
Buenos Aires and Cordoba Wednesday are Russia
vs. Greece and France vs. hosts Argentina.
A full report will follow after the conclusion
of the day's play.
World Championship a magnet for spectators
Buenos Aires, Argentina - The Men's Volleyball
World
Championship, now about to enter the
quarterfinals of the tournament, has proved a
magnet for spectators here in Argentina.
So far some 249,347 spectators have watched the
60 first and second round matches, an average of
4,156 per match.
The first round was played in six host cities -
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe, Salta, Mar del
Plata and San Juan, where 143,172 people watched
the 36 matches, an average of 3,977 per match.
The competition then concentrated on the first
four cities for the second round when 106,175
people watched 24 matches, an average of 4,424
per match.
Spectators have flocked to support the host team
at the Luna Park Stadium in the capital where
they have four times played before capacity
crowds of 10,250.
The quarterfinals are being played in Buenos
Aires and Cordoba on Wednesday evening ands
tickets for remaining quarter- semifinal and
Sunday's final matches at the Luna Park Stadium
are already sold out.
Best attendance: 4 matches of Argentina's
national team at Luna Park (10,250 each -
stadium sold out).
What they said before the quarterfinalsStatements from the head coaches of Argentina, France, Greece and Russia playing in Buenos AiresCarlos Getzelevich (ARG): "The Argentine team has improved during this event. We have played very well. Now we will face France, another strong team. France is a compact team and makes no unforced errors. We have to be very concentrated. The matches we played prior to the World Championship against France will not have any influence on this quarterfinal match. Those were just games, although we wanted to win them. Now it will be a new match. I believe that the two rest days have had a positive affect on my players. It has given them a chance to recover. My team improved game by game and against France it will be a win/lose situation. We have to give our absolute best, because we are playing for a place in the semifinal. In my opinion, France is favorite because they play very well during the entire
year."Philippe Blain (FRA):"We are very happy to be in the quarterfinal of the World Championship. We played great games. The match against Argentina will be one more hard game. Argentina is a good team and plays excellent matches in a full stadium. Argentina is playing better and better. With Marcos Milinkovic and Jorge Elgueta they have two strong hitters and the team has a lot of experience. They found the right spirit between the players and the public. The fans are the seventh player. We played well so far, but Argentina did too. It will be a close match. The team that closes out the important points will be the one that wins. We know that a quarterfinal match is always a hard game. It will be a great experience to play for so many enthusiastic fans. It will be a good memory for the players and the coaches."Guennadi Chipouline (RUS): "My team started with a lot of difficulties. It is difficult to maintain a high level during the entire year, both technical and psychical. We won the World League and we definitely wanted to maintain our high level, but this was not possible. We are hoping to improve in the quarterfinals again. Our match against Greece will be spectacular. The spectators will see a great show. It is true that we lost four matches against Greece last year, but we learned our lesson and we will not make the same mistakes again. It will be a big match and I cannot make any comments about the result yet."Stellios Prosalikas (GRE): "I am very glad to play in Luna Park. I agree with the other coaches that the quarterfinals will be difficult matches. Everyone knows the power of Russia. We will play freely and I really don't know what the result will be. It will be spectacular for all spectators. I hope the spectators will be as excited as they were in Salta. The support during the six matches we played there was fantastic. The Greek flag has the same white and blue colors as the Argentine flag and Argentina is also a Mediterranean style of country, so there are no major differences. I hope there will be some support for us. We are on the road to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. To be here is a great opportunity to learn. The people in Greece are following us closely and the media is writing constantly about this event. Our performance has been very important for Greek volleyball."
Preview quarterfinalsBuenos Aires, Argentina, October 8, 20002 - The 2002 Men's World Volleyball Championship on Wednesday enters the quarterfinal phase where the world's eight best teams will face off in two cities - here in the Argentina capital and in the city of Cordoba.Argentina vs. France, Wednesday October 9, 2100, Buenos Aires
More than 10,000 fans will be in the stadium to support as yet undefeated Argentina in their match against France on Wednesday. The Argentine lineup, currently enjoying national hero status has so far sailed through their six matches and clearly gaining confidence. France is also playing a great tournament and has won all their matches, including a victory over Russia, except their second round clash against Brazil in the second round. Argentina will have the psychological edge with their near fanatical followers packing home territory at Luna Park Stadium. Coach Carlos Getzelevich also has a good number of useful players at his disposal and captain and opposite attacker Marcos Milinkovic and middle blocker Alejandro Spajic remain in devastating form. In addition, Jeronimo Bidegain and Jorge Elgueta are playing a great tournament.
On the French side, middle blockers Dominique Daquin and Olivier Kieffer are in a good shape, while outside hitters Luc Marquet, Franz Granvorka and Stephane Antigua are making a major contribution. The French will need to deploy absolute concentration so as not to be distracted by the Argentine fans. Russia vs. Greece, Wednesday October 9, 1830, Buenos Aires
Russia, winners of the prestigious $15 million World League in August, was the pre-tournament favorite but are yet to display the kind of performance that won them that prize. Russia lost in the first round against Bulgaria and France and also conceded some sets in the second round. The 2000 Olympic silver medallist will be looking to prove in their quarterfinal match against Greece that they are still one of the medal candidates.
Greece is one of the quarterfinal surprises and last reached the final eight of a World Championship in 1994, when the country hosted the event. They have already done well to reach the quarterfinals and can go into the match already satisfied with their performance in this championship. Because of this they can easily pull off a surprise and must be considered a dangerous opponent.Italy vs. Brazil, Wednesday October 9, 1830, Buenos Aires
The quarterfinal between Italy and Brazil will be the battle of the giants of the 2002 Men's World Championship. The Italian team won the last three World Championships, but is not in their best form having lost clashes against Poland and Argentina and without the services of wing spiker Samuele Papi, who was injured in their match against Japan.
Brazil also struggled at the beginning of the tournament, losing 3-2 against USA. But the South Americans showed in the second round that they are still among the best. Brazil dismissed France, Czech Republic and Netherlands all in straight sets during the second round. The young Andre Nascimento has emerged to be one of their most effective players in this tournament and has been pounding on the points for the green and yellows. He is well supported by the charismatic Gilberto Godoy Filho (Giba) and Nalbert Bitencourt who are also scoring many points.
All previous battles between Italy and Brazil have been great matches. Four years ago, Italy won the semifinal against Brazil after an exciting fifth set tiebreaker. This time, Brazil is the slight favorite, but when the Italians get a whiff of a title, they are extremely dangerous.Portugal vs. Yugoslavia, Wednesday October 9, 1600, Cordoba
Yugoslavia has steamed through the 2002 Men's World Championship and seems unstoppable. The Olympic and European Champion has only lost two sets in the six matches played in this event and they are looking to add the coveted title to their trophy collection. The team has been among the medal winners in all Olympic Games, World Championships and Continental Championships since 1995.
Star setter Nikola Grbic is a pivotal member of the team, elegantly distributing shots to his powerful attackers like Ivan Miljkovic and Goran Vujevic, who seem unstoppable here in Argentina.
But the young and talented Portuguese side is producing their best volleyball ever. Hugo Gaspar is the big star and is back on track after a small injury in the first round.
Yugoslavia should advance to the semifinal without any problems, but Portugal has nothing to lose and if they can hold their nerves, they are capable of causing an upset in this important phase of the tournament.

How it all Started
Volleyball World Championships have come a ling way
from the first men's World Championship held on a
converted outdoor tennis court in Prague,
Czechoslovakia in 194, where only European teams were
present. Today it is truly a global media event, not
only enjoyed by thousands who watch the matches live,
but to millions of television viewers on every
continent.
Teams from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
dominated the first decades, but it has been the boys
in Blue - Italy's amazing Squadra Azzurra who have
stolen the limelight right through the 1990's. They
won three World Championships (1990, 1994, 1998) and
eight of the twelve World League titles.
So who will take the first honors of the 21st Century?
Will Italy make it four in a row? Will brilliant
Brazil be able to continue the form that gave them
last year's World League? Will Yugoslavia relive its
glory of the Sydney Olympic Games? Or will a new star
be born in Argentina?

The
world’s best Volleyball teams meet in six cities across
Argentina to battle it out for the 2002 World Championship
title.

Only
two of the 24 teams qualify automatically – Italy, the
titleholders from 1998 and the host country. The rest worked
their way through a lengthy qualification process that
encompassed five continents, 60 teams and 18 qualification
tournaments.